An Effort

"In the end, it’s extra effort that separates a winner from second place. It takes desire, determination, discipline, and self-sacrifice. Put all these together, and even if you don’t win, how can you lose?" Jesse Owens

"Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men."
Martha Graham

One of these quotes may help me with my decision for the first topic in October.

"Behold, to [the Lamanites’] uttermost astonishment, [the Nephites] were prepared for them, in a manner which never had been known (Alma 49:6–8 ).

End of month survey

http://vote.pollcode.com/78466615

Today

I am going to review this from Sunday thoughts: try to memorize-

Phrase-

Choose to love God today

Three Questions-

What does God want me to become?

What do I aspire to become?

What does God think of me now?

Saturday Night Quotes

The girls went to the evening conference. Here were highlights:

Heavenly Father is constantly raining blessings upon us. It is our fear, doubt and sin that, like an umbrella, block these blessings from reaching us.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Sister Stevens said that it is as individuals go to "His holy house" that they can be “armed with His power, His name upon us, His glory round about us and His angels have charge over us.”
Jean A. Stevens

No matter the role someone plays — all can be a power for good and a light to others as they give voice to the truth, follow the Savior’s example and help others to come unto Him.
Neill F. Marriott

“Behold, to [the Lamanites’] uttermost astonishment, [the Nephites] were prepared for them, in a manner which never had been known,”( Alma 49:6–8 ) she said. “How can we better prepare for sacred temple blessings?”
Linda k. Burton

Hymnal Moment

From Hymnary.org:

"On April 29, 2011, millions of people around the world turned on their televisions to watch one of the most anticipated spectacles of the year: the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The ceremony featured a number of hymns, one of which was “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling,” a hymn that is both appropriate and seemingly paradoxical for a wedding. This ceremony was so celebrated because it represented the “dream” for romance - a prince finding his princess, true loves coming together, and a couple rising above the odds to be together. This, we argue so easily, is love. And yet this hymn reorients us to see that this beautiful wedding and marriage is only, and can only ever be, a reflection of the Love above all loves. We are only able to love one another because Christ first loved us. God is love, and we are the mirrors and bearers of that love to each other. Let us pray that we would continually be filled with Love, that we might bless each other, and become more and more like He who loves us."

Verse 4:

Finish then thy new creation;
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee:
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.

Sunday Worship

My meetings each week are beneficial.  I am looking for inspiration. And wisdom comes. It came from inspired messages and songs during my worship services.

A sister returned missionary posed three questions, and a phrase that we should ponder:

Phrase-

Choose to love God today

Three Questions-

What does God want me to become?

What do I aspire to become?

What does God think of me now?

My daughter made up this wonderful statement:

"Never stop your steps to the temple"

The primary sang this song:

Build an Ark

Noah was a prophet, a man who did not fear.
When he taught repentance, the people would not hear.
So the Lord told him to build a boat
That could hold a ton and stay afloat.
Then Noah started building and said within his heart:

I can be like Noah, Yes, I can be prepared.
I can build my ark, and I’ll find safe shelter there.
I can do the things I know are right.
I can learn and pray with all my might.
And then when storm clouds come,

I’ll be safe within my ark.
I will build my ark before it starts to rain.
I will follow the prophet, for he speaks in God’s name.
I’ll prepare ev’ry needful thing.
I will walk in righteous ways.
When the rain starts to fall on me,
I’ll be ready for that day.

Text:  Marianne P. Wilcock

Music:  Marianne P. Wilcock

The Shield

"The heavy armor worn by soldiers of a former day, including helmets, shields, and breastplates, determined the outcome of some battles. However, the real battles of life in our modern day will be won by those who are clad in a spiritual armor—an armor consisting of faith in God, faith in self, faith in one’s cause, and faith in one’s leaders." Carlos E. Asay

Day Three

For my activity today I sent a thank you note to someone from the post office.

I truly believe that the mercy and purposes of The Lord our manifested to a troubled heart by someone being guided from him. And that his mercy merits our graciousness for him.

David A. Bednar's excerpt on the "Tender Mercies of The Lord."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7XA5X5CxJc&sns=em

Day Two

I sent a text message to everyone about this scripture. We will see everyone's response at dinner.

2 John 1:6- This is love, that we walk in obedience to his commands.

Now this is a time that they could view their messages looking at the scripture reference.

written by cindy post senning

"If you're having dinner with friends and family, be with them"

I love the question, “What are the manners for text messaging?” because it gives me a chance to talk about how manners evolve. We don’t just make them up here at The Emily Post Institute. What we do is consider the medium, think about what’s respectful and considerate, listen to the public, and then articulate the manners we see evolving. So when I was asked recently by Sara Rimer of The New York Times, “What about text messaging at the dinner table?” it was an easy answer – “It’s not good manners!”

If your meal is just about nourishment and you are by yourself in the kitchen, text away. No problem! But if you’re having dinner with friends and family, be with them. As I told Sara, “The family meal is a social event, not a food ingestion event.” Even if your phone is in your lap, the people with you all know what you’re doing when you’re eyes are focused on your lap. Just because it’s a quiet activity (unlike a phone call), you’re not fooling anyone. And then everyone’s attention is on the fact that your attention is on your phone, not on them.

The guideline is that you do not text message when you are involved in any type of social interaction – conversation, listening, in class, at a meeting or, especially, at the dinner table. If you really need to communicate with someone who is not at the event – or at the table – excuse yourself and then return as soon as you can.

If you haven’t clicked through yet, check out Sara Rimer’s article in The New York Times. It’s a great piece on how different people feel about texting at the dinner table, plus there is a lively discussion happening in the comments section.

Report- Day One

I sent everyone a riddle to solve today.  It was a fun activity. Below:

"It stands on one leg with its heart in its head."

We have lost the art of solving riddles. It is fun, thought provoking, and when answered- a smile, or-"yeah that's it" is produced.

“Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.”
Paul E. McGhee, Ph.D.

These should make you laugh-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxbCtKfqwXY

Chonda Pierce: Spanx In Iraq (James Robison / LIFE Today)

Rip Dive Experiences

Now I get to apply the scriptures I dived for and memorized this month for the next three days. Then I will record the activities. The first one is:

Proverbs 15:13, "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance:"

To complete a literal perfect dive the entry is judged by the divers application into the water, "a small entry splash-rip dive", a 10.  With this concept in mind, an application activity to complete a scriptural dive is critical, "a rip dive"- a small, piercing dive into and from the heart, a 10 experience hopefully.

Lists

Lists are absorbed by the brain like a sponge. The recall from them is almost instantaneously.  I emphasized this quote last month:

Making decisions in advance will help you be guardians of virtue. I hope each of you will write a list of things you will always do and things you will never do. Then live your list." Elaine S. Dalton

I really like the list that was created from this quote, the "ity" virtues.

"I testify and declare that our Heavenly Father expects His children to exercise-
integrity,
civility,
fidelity,
charity,
generosity,
morality, and
all the “ity” virtues;
May we have the humility to take the opportunity to act upon our responsibility to demonstrate our ability to do so." H. David Burton

Thomas S. Monson just created this one: Three Sermonettes-

Love the Temple
Appreciate the Temple
Attend the Temple

Summing Up

We have dived through three topics, Heart, Commandments of God, and Mercy, Merciful, this September. We memorized three scripture references; Proverbs 15:13,  2 John 1:6, and 1 Nephi 1:20. We identified three conceptual stories from the topics: Happy Heart Story, Handstands, and MacPractice. On September 3rd we reviewed the  "free-diving" study technique. To finish out this month we will:

1) record a List

2) record a Shield quote

3) have "Rip Dive" experiences

4) review a scripture memory technique

5) review August scriptures we memorized, and

6) submit a survey

Summing Up

"And if they shall smite this people thou wilt smite them; thou wilt fight for thy people as thou didst in the day of battle, that they may be delivered from the hands of all their enemies” (D&C 109:24–28).-

"Please consider these verses in light of the current raging of the adversary and what we have discussed about our willingness to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ and the blessing of protection promised to those who honorably hold a name and standing in the holy temple. Significantly, these covenant blessings are to all generations and for all eternity. I invite you to study repeatedly and ponder prayerfully the implications of these scriptures in your life and for your family.-

We should not be surprised by Satan’s efforts to thwart or discredit temple worship and work. The devil despises the purity in and the power of the Lord’s house. And the protection available to each of us in and through temple ordinances and covenants stands as a great obstacle to the evil designs of Lucifer." David A. Bednar

"A series of contrasts between the world and temple. One, the world is hectic and hurried; the temple- stillness. Two, the world is noisy and loud; the temple is quiet and peaceful." David A. Bednar

 "May I remind you that when we dedicate a house to the Lord, what we really do is dedicate ourselves to the Lord's service, with a covenant that we shall use the house in the way he intends that it shall be used." ("Ogden Temple Dedicatory Prayer," Ensign, Mar. 1972, 6.) Joseph F. Smith

"Remember the endowment is like a compass to our lives, pointing the way we would go." Thomas S. Monson

"Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings. There are never too many miles to travel, too many obstacles to overcome, or too much discomfort to endure. They understand that the saving ordinances received in the temple that permit us to someday return to our Heavenly Father in an eternal family relationship and to be endowed with blessings and power from on high are worth every sacrifice and every effort." Thomas S. Monson

"The temple brings peace to our hearts, purpose to our lives" Thomas S. Monson

What I Learned At Church

This morning we went to the Ogden Temple Rededication at our Stake Center. They had a live video feed from the Ogden Temple. It was presented from the celestial room. The room was beautiful, complete white, a high ceiling, a gorgeous-elegant/brilliant chandelier- the centerpiece. The room was walled by narrow, boxed columns to the ceiling.  It was perfectly decorated and detailed as the only room of heaven on this earth should be.

The messages presented to us were well worth our effort by attending.

I recalled these great insights:

"about our willingness to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ and the blessing of protection promised to those who honorably hold a name and standing in the holy temple." David A. Bednar

"A series of contrasts between the world and temple. One, the world is hectic and hurried; the temple- stillness. Two, the world is noisy and loud; the temple is quiet and peaceful." David A. Bednar

 "May I remind you that when we dedicate a house to the Lord, what we really do is dedicate ourselves to the Lord's service, with a covenant that we shall use the house in the way he intends that it shall be used." ("Ogden Temple Dedicatory Prayer," Ensign, Mar. 1972, 6.) Joseph F. Smith

"Remember the endowment is like a compass to our lives, pointing the way we would go." Thomas S. Monson

"Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price too heavy, no struggle too difficult in order to receive those blessings." Thomas S. Monson

"The temple brings peace to our hearts, purpose to our lives" Thomas S. Monson

Memorizing

20    But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of The Lord... because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance. I Nephi 1:

"To memorize a scripture is to forge a new friendship." Richard G. Scott

Scripture Memorization

This is the scripture I am going to memorize from the topic, Mercy, Merciful:

20    But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of The Lord... because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance. I Nephi 1:20

Additional Mercy quotes, if you would like to read:

 "I believe that his juridical concept of his dealings with his children could be expressed in this way: I believe that in his justice and mercy, he will give us the maximum reward for our acts, give us all that he can give, and in the reverse, I believe that he will impose upon us the minimum penalty which it is possible for him to impose." J. Reuben Clark

"The Savior himself declared that he came to fulfill the law, not to do away with it, but with the law he brought the principle of mercy to temper its enforcement, and to bring hope and encouragement to [the] offenders for forgiveness through [mercy and] repentance." Stephen L. Richards

MacPractice

I truly believe that the mercy and purposes of The Lord our manifested to a troubled heart by someone being guided from him. Jeffrey R. Holland said, "Hold on, work on, see it through; Let the distress of earlier hours, real or imagined, fall away in the abundance of the final reward." The scripture manifests and provides his tender mercies-unto the power of deliverance for each of us-1 Nephi 1:20. Thus, making one mighty.

"God's mercy can make even the driest land become a garden, can restore life to dry bones (cf. Ez 37:1-14). ... Let us be renewed by God's mercy, let us be loved by Jesus, let us enable the power of his love to transform our lives too; and let us become agents of this mercy, channels through which God can water the earth, protect all creation and make justice and peace flourish."
Pope Francis

"Be merciful and you shall find mercy. Seek to help save souls, not to destroy them: for verily you know, that 'there is more joy in heaven, over one sinner that repents, than there is over ninety and nine just persons [who] need no repentance.'" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 77.)

I had to put this quote from yesterday in this post today, it is awesome!:

Therefore I am sure that this, my Coronation, is not the symbol of a power and a splendor that are gone but a declaration of our hopes for the future, and for the years I may, by God's Grace and Mercy, be given to reign and serve you as your Queen. Queen Elizabeth II

Diving, Free-Diving

The weekly dive through a topic can take time. Depending on the topic it could take 20-30 minutes.  A five minute dive is quite easy. As you dive down the topic, check with a pencil or pen, or even highlight it on your iPad your top 3-5 references. If the topic is interesting and inspirational more time can be applied.  If you choose to spend more time and research, I would remark the "dive", as a "free dive". (see example, September 3rd- Post; Free-diving) In free-diving look for patterns, sequences or themes from your topic.

Dive- Mercy, Merciful

As I dove with this topic, plentiful understanding of it was truly- "twice blest" ( quote below) or should I say blest multiple.

The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
 It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
 Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
 It blesseth him that gives and him that takes: ...
 It is an attribute to God himself. (The Merchant of Venice, act 4, sc. 1, lines 184-95.)

I found these great references as I dove, true treasures:

15   "The plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth for the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God, and a merciful God also." Alma 42

7    "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy." Matthew 2

8    "He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah:6

20    And when the Jews heard these things they were angry with him; yea, even as with the prophets of old, whom they had cast out, and stoned, and slain; and they also sought his life, that they might take it away. But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.
1 Nephi 1:

1     Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I Am, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins;  Doctrine and Covenants 29

Goggle search: mercy,  lds and you will find great talks on the topic.  I love this quote:

Therefore I am sure that this, my Coronation, is not the symbol of a power and a splendor that are gone but a declaration of our hopes for the future, and for the years I may, by God's Grace and Mercy, be given to reign and serve you as your Queen.
Queen Elizabeth II

The Topic

The answer of the topic came to me as I pondered, "let us reason together" (Isaiah 1:18). It was presented to my mind- complete inspiration! It came to me- the Lord's mercy. The topic this week will be Mercy, Merciful.

"are considered in Christ, washed in his blood, and clothed with his righteousness, which is fine linen, clean and white; God, seeing no iniquity in them, has thus graciously dealt with them, and they being without fault, spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing"-Gill's Exposition of the Bible. See Biblehub.com.

Then this thought came to me -that his mercy merits our graciousness for him.

“Never suppress a generous thought." Julie B. Beck

Pondering for a new topic

Pondering for a new topic is like strategizing your next move or moves in chess or checkers.  During my personal scripture study of the Sunday school lesson for this week,  I came across this scripture:

18    Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. In Isaiah chaper 1.

As you search for your topic, perhaps ponder upon it by reasoning together with The Lord.

What I Learned On Sunday

I was inspired by this scripture from Sunday School. This scripture follows my heart and obedient topics I've studied.

Doctrine Covenants 64:23

Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.

Then in priesthood meeting we were led by the instructor, of this scripture chain. The discussion was of the sealing power and the words of John to the endowed saints.

Isaiah 22:22

And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

Revelation 1:1, 6; 2:17-18

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:

And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.

And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me,  saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

My daughter inspired me with this today: “You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.”― Benjamin Mee, We Bought a Zoo: The Amazing True Story of a Young Family, a Broken Down Zoo, and the 200 Wild Animals That Change Their Lives Forever.

Our son reported to the High Council, his testimony.  He told of his duty to baptize people to get on the right path-of imperfect people then learning of perfecting themselves through Jesus Christ. I found this quote from Jeffrey R. Holland, "So be kind regarding human frailty—your own as well as that of those who serve with you in a Church led by volunteer, mortal men and women. Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we. And when you see imperfection, remember that the limitation is not in the divinity of the work. As one gifted writer has suggested, when the infinite fulness is poured forth, it is not the oil’s fault if there is some loss because finite vessels can’t quite contain it all. Those finite vessels include you and me, so be patient and kind and forgiving."

John and Jan Clayton reported to the congregation of their volunteer work at the Jerusalem Center for the past 18 months. He explained how the church members cannot actively proselyte. John referenced this from Elder James E. Faust: "After the lease had been signed, one of our friends insightfully remarked, “Oh, we know that you are not going to proselyte, but what are you going to do about the light that is in their eyes?”

Commandments Of God, Scripture Memorization

2 John 1:6

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. 

Write this scripture on notes to family and friends throughout the day. It will help you to memorize it.

9/11 Thought

Our task, in the aftermath of September 11, was and continues to be the transformation of the effects of evil into something beautiful and good.

Marianne Williamson

Handstands

For me the fruits of commandment-keeping have been the results of honoring and applying the principles of the Word of Wisdom (Doctrine and Covenants Section 89). Before I met Jennifer, I had just purchased a push-up stand.  My goal was to train myself from a squatting position to do a straight up handstand. After at least a year of training, with a jumprope-jump roping, many sit-ups, and push-ups, I could not only do handstands from the stand but multiple ones anywhere. This experience taught me the power of training and practice. Such training prepared me for future opportunities in coaching, and inspiring the children in storytelling, race-walking, lacrosse training, and tumbling. In Section 89, it's promise is every revealing-"And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint."

Dive, and Treasures found

I found these scriptures from my dive with the topic Commandments Of God:

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man."
Eccles.12:13

"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Matthew 22:38

"For this is the love of God," says John, "that we keep his commandments"
2 John 1:6

"And behold, all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised you that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you."
Mosiah 2:22

Jesus Christ knew the law of loving your neighbor, and defined that law even further by saying to his disciples to lay down their lives for each other.  A new mindset was introduced. We should give of ourselves to God and to others with the same fighting spirit, purpose, and zeal. We also learn how he taught, using first and second sequencing. It is easy to learn this way. This same pattern is found in Nephite writings, see Mosiah chapter 2:22-24.

Commandments Of God, Topic

The Commandments Of God is the topic this week.  We all have are agency to obey them or not.  Peace comes by honoring and following them, and sorrow comes by not sustaining and not abiding by them. Blessings are promised as we obey them, for example Elder David Bednar stated:

"The imagery of the "windows" of heaven used by Malachi is most instructive. Windows allow natural light to enter into a building. In like manner, spiritual illumination and perspective are poured out through the windows of heaven and into our lives as we honor the law of tithing."

Remember from the last post Neal Maxwell quoted of the fruits of commandment- keeping.

Topic

We'll it is time to select another topic this week. My thoughts this morning have pondered so many already.  I should have one selected for tomorrow's post.  In the meantime ponder this message:

"Each day I see all about me the fruits of commandment-keeping."

Neal Maxwell

*Remember to track the scriptures you have memorized. Review them in your mind- recall a past post:

As you go through this process you will recognize that thoughts will come to your mind as you review your references, and as you memorize them. I call these passages memorized as "thought fillers" (thfs) or "script-ions".  Put these thoughts, in your mind as you close your eyes right before going to sleep. Picture them in your mind. Roll them from the front of your head to the back, like a film rolling credits.

Record them (on a card or device), recite them. 

Heart Scripture

Proverbs 15:13, "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance;"

Read this scripture in your mind as you think of the Virginia Pearce description from the last post of Jesus positioning the child to face the blind man he heals. Sequence this in your mind, scripture then child/healing image- repeat.  After a few times you'll have the scripture memorized.

Message from Church

I was impressed today from a testimony from a sister in our ward going to the MTC this week.  In preparation for her mission she memorized, The Living Christ.  She quoted this portion:

“As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.

 “He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. ‘All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made’ (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He ‘went about doing good’ (Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to , and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.

 “He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.

Scripture Man is going to incorporate the memorization of this document in his study routine. And in relation to this, the "heart" topic and bringing the love of Christ down to a personal level, again Virginia Pearce wrote, "Jesus Christ always stands as the supreme example.  His heart was ever aware of all who struggled around him.  In one of those films we have on Christ (I’m sorry, I don’t remember which one), we watch him heal the blind man, but the part that brings tears to my eyes is when he positions the blind man’s child so she will be the first person he sees, even before he sees the Lord.  Such mercy, such love and devotion can we soon forget?"

Memorization, topic scripture

The heart is a physical organ. It is also the center of our emotional and spiritual life. Exactly how all the functions are connected no one understands, but there is an undeniable relationship. I cannot attempt to describe it for you, only how it feels for me. At the risk of sounding a little odd, I can tell you that I can ­actually feel my heart change its physical texture, size, and position, in relation to my spiritual condition. It gets hard and tiny and moves back behind my chest wall when I am angry and withdrawn and self-absorbed. On the other hand, when I am filled with love and reaching out to others, it softens and warms and moves forward—it is enlarged and full. Perhaps my mind is a trifle overactive, but the imagery works very well for me. After all, the scriptures use it—softened and enlarged, or hardened and cold—and so does Dr. Seuss, when he describes the Grinch’s heart as growing “three sizes that day. (Author Virginia Pearce-A Heart Like His-excerpt)

I am going to memorize-Proverbs 15:13, "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken."-from this weeks dive.

I believe this scripture really expresses an attitude in our heart of being cheerful and happy. And contrasts a broken spirit by ones sorrowing, and perhaps ones hopeless perspective. As a people we need a heightened type of "heart altruism" in our living, and I simply should improve mine.

Happy Heart Story

Our son just recently returned from his mission.  He is adjusting to being home, and doing quite well. The other day he called me "Dad I need a watch, where should I go to buy a cheap one?" I  told him go to "Dress for Less" at a local shopping center.  So he went.  I was certain he knew where it was, he had been there with his Mom recently.  He called me back a few minutes later, "Dad I don't see the store".  Then I realized, it was "Ross, Dress for Less".  The same store, but the signage read "Ross".  I busted up laughing like I do when I am really humored; thinking of my son trying to seriously find the store while he was driving in his car. My heart put a smile (and a good laugh) on my countenance with our phone conversation.

Freediving, Dive

Freediving

Well, what might seem like an impossible, watery nightmare to ordinary mortals is merely a challenge to an elite breed of aquatic athletes known as freedivers, who've trained their bodies and minds to function underwater for long periods without taking a breath. Freediving's Michael Phelps equivalent is a 39-year-old Austrian named Herbert Nitsch who is capable of going without a gasp of air for more than nine minutes straight and who has held 22 world records recognized by the International Association for the Development of Freediving (AIDA), the sport's governing body [source: Beyond Limits].

For today's dive we are going to exercise an even deeper dive, Scripture "freediving".   I will take passages from the topic of heart, and make a scriptural collocation of them that I noticed from the book of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon, and build a sequence about using our hearts. I thought it was interesting that Mosiah had five straight references of heart from my dive.

Book of Mosiah

2:9

...but that you should hearken unto me, and open your ears that ye may hear, and your hearts that ye may understand;

(we learn here, that our hearts need to be open; yes, our ears hear, but with our hearts we understand better what we hear)

4:2

...O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified;

(one's heart need be open to Christ, receive forgiveness-purification)

5:12

...I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts;

(we need to always retain his name, and remember Christ in our hearts)

12:27

...Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding;

(humility is a trait that we need to acquire; applying your best efforts to understanding)

24:12

...And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.

(the most difficult- to pour out our hearts to him, and manifest his goodness to those around us)

Then the next scripture from this dive that I select is:

Proverbs 15:13, A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

Topic

My reference topic I have chosen to begin this months pattern is HEART. The heart is the power and our source of life. To obtain the mind of Christ it begins with a spiritual heart beating in vigor to be like him. I will begin my dive tomorrow.

To put us on target with this topic I like this from Elder Dale Renlund, who is a Cardiologist:

Because of my schedule, I had become casual with my prayers and scripture study. I would get up one morning, say my prayers, and go to work. Often day blended into night and into day again before I would return home late the following evening. I would then be so tired that I would fall asleep before saying a prayer or reading the scriptures. The next morning the process began again. The problem was that I was not doing the basic things I needed to do to keep my mightily changed heart from turning to stone.

I got off the couch, got on my knees, and pleaded with God for forgiveness. I promised my Heavenly Father that I would change. The next day I brought a Book of Mormon to the hospital. On my to-do list that day, and every day since, were two items: praying at least morning and evening and reading in the scriptures. Sometimes midnight would come, and I would have to quickly find a private place to pray. Some days my scripture study was brief. I also promised Heavenly Father that I would always try to get to church, even if I missed part of the meeting. Over the course of a few weeks, the zeal returned and the fire of testimony burned fiercely again. I promised to never again fall into the spiritual death trap of being casual about these seemingly small actions and thereby jeopardizing things of an eternal nature, regardless of circumstances. (Preserving Hearts Mighty Change, Oct. 2009)

Confession, Thoughts of Sunday

I confess that I am not the perfect husband.  I fail most of the time. And most of the time my pride overshadows better perceptions. After a few days my actions viewed surely are an ultimate embarassment.  Elder Craig Zwick expresses it well, "Spouses, who have shared some of life’s richest and most tender experiences, lose vision and patience with each other and raise their voices. All of us, though covenant children of a loving Heavenly Father, have regretted jumping headlong from the high seat of self-righteous judgment and have spoken with abrasive words before we understood a situation from another’s perspective. We have all had the opportunity to learn how destructive words can take a situation from hazardous to fatal.

There exists today a great need for men and women to cultivate respect for each other across wide distances of belief and behavior and across deep canyons of conflicting agendas. It is impossible to know all that informs our minds and hearts or even to fully understand the context for the trials and choices we each face.

Nevertheless, what would happen to the “corrupt communication” Paul spoke about if our own position included empathy for another’s experience first? Fully owning the limits of my own imperfections and rough edges, I plead with you to practice asking this question, with tender regard for another’s experience: “What are you thinking?”

When our truck cab filled with smoke, my wife acted in the bravest manner she could imagine to protect our son. I too acted as a protector when I questioned her choice. Shockingly, it did not matter who was more right. What mattered was listening to each other and understanding the other’s perspective.

The willingness to see through each other’s eyes will transform “corrupt communication” into “minister[ing] grace.” The Apostle Paul understood this, and on some level each of us can experience it too. It may not change or solve the problem, but the more important possibility may be whether ministering grace could change us."( LDS General Conference, April 2014)